Fritz the Ditz
by CreationsGoneAwry
Summary: After witnessing a little bit of his dark side, Annie falls for Fritz. Little does she know, he likes her back. From best friends to lovers, their relationship takes twists and turns that neither one imagined would be possible before now. Is there more to Fritz than everyone assumes?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So… is it set in stone that Annie/Minori moved to Oak Tree from the city? I checked fogu and everything and I don't think you can start a new file unless you get rid of an old save, so I ain't doing that, but… well it doesn't really matter since people've done all sorts of crazy stuff with Annie's background already.

Anyway, hellooo, HM fandom. CGA back with yet another multichap, because I'm finally getting good at updating them, and this time, I'm here with a severely undershipped pairing – Fritz and Annie.

I originally intended to write it from Fritz's POV, but I just started writing and it flowed better from Annie's, so unfortunately yes, you all get to read another Annie-centric story.

I didn't mean to post this right away, as I literally just told someone this would be coming _soon_ and not _now,_ let alone maybe not even coming in the first place,but oh well I'm a hypocrite, don't stick to my word, whatever.

For this story, I'm planning on having it be another little one, maybe just a little longer than Apple Pie was (sorry for everyone who wanted it to be longer :P). Fritz's character is surprisingly hard for me to write, despite having written him before and finding it pretty simple. But maybe that's just because I've only focused on making Raeger the love interest and as such only really played with his personality and dialogue… meh.

Well, regardless, it's still pretty fun, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it! All three forms of feedback are greatly appreciated, so thanks in advance!

* * *

 **Fritz the Ditz**

"You're still a girl."

Everyone in town – no, anyone who ever just saw Fritz – would think he was nothing more than a dunce.

He was silly, playful, naïve, and overly friendly to the point of being gullible. He was easily tricked and often made fun of, the butt of each and every joke.

But Annie knew better. Well, she thought she did, anyway.

She hadn't exactly anticipated this situation before, even in her wildest dreams.

Her best friend who had taken to her as quickly as an abandoned newborn puppy, Fritz, was actually scolding her.

Annie scowled. "I _know_ I'm a girl, Fritz. You don't exactly have to tell me that." She slid out from underneath him and got up, brushing the dirt from his floor off of her work pants. She rubbed at her back, a bit tender from the collision he'd caused.

Fritz just crossed his arms. "If you know, then why'd you go there?"

"It was just to the trade depot!"

"It was late!"

She rolled her eyes. "Just because you're scared of the dark doesn't mean I am, too."

"It's not that, Annie," he protested. "Those traders are new in town. They might not be the best people."

What was he talking about? Was he really badmouthing those nice shopkeepers?

"You mean Kenneth? Or, or, how about Yoshino? The easterners aren't nice anymore, didn't you hear, Fritz? They specialize in human trafficking and – "

She was flung back up against the wall, and only then did she realize just how much taller than her Fritz was. Was he always this tall…?

"Don't joke about that stuff," he told her. His tone was uncharacteristically dark and menacing, and it sent shivers down Annie's spine.

She couldn't look away from his intense gaze, though, she noticed. There was something about the way his eyes flickered between hers that just kept her captivated, rooted in place where her feet stood.

She gulped.

That was the first time she'd seen such a scary face. And Fritz was definitely the very last person she thought capable of making it.

Suddenly, he wasn't such a sweet, little innocent boy that she could tease anymore. They probably wouldn't have sleepovers anymore. For sure, they wouldn't look at each other the same way anymore.

Or at least Annie didn't.

Since that time, exactly one week ago, she'd slowly become more cautious and anxious around Fritz, and she was constantly on the lookout for him everywhere she went.

She felt herself becoming more and more aware of him and his actions.

Being only eighteen yet, she thought she would have preferred a man at least a few years her senior, perhaps Raeger or Klaus, as they seemed to be perfect gentlemen.

But… for one reason or another, she was drawn to Fritz.

…

"Aaaaannie!"

Annie shook her head and sighed. How many times did she have to tell Fritz not to hang around outside the barn and just come in? It wasn't like she could come out very easily.

Still, she maneuvered carefully around her cows and sheep as Fritz banged uncaringly on the barn door, wondering what sort of scolding she could tell him this time.

She opened up the large door, letting in the sunlight for a second before she stepped out and re-latched it. This was the special barn, for her photosensitive animals she rescued from an evil farmer.

…Or so she'd told Fritz one time so he wouldn't keep the door open and let all of them out.

"What do you want?" Annie asked impatiently, arms crossed.

Fritz just grinned. "Look what I got!"

He held up a small, spiky ball. It looked rather slimy, and it made sense why he was touching it.

"A sea urchin?" she asked, unimpressed. He was always bringing around weird things to show her.

And, well, she didn't exactly dislike it, as it led to them seeing each other every so often, but…

"Get rid of it."

Fritz's face fell. "Wh-what? But I thought – "

"You thought wrong," she said harshly. She already knew what he was going to say, so she started walking away. If he was dragging her outside, he could help with the crops, she reasoned.

"But… we can make something for Raeger!" he cried, walking alongside her and attempting to guilt her into doing something.

For the most part, it usually worked, but that was only because Annie had a pretend crush on Raeger – a pretend crush so that Fritz wouldn't find out it was actually him that she liked.

In one of his childish bouts, he asked her to play truth or dare, which she idiotically complied with. During the game (which was pretty pointless with just two people) he "dared her to tell the truth" and confess who she liked.

She'd bitten her lip and said the first name that wasn't Fritz that came to mind. That happened to be Raeger, because his restaurant was where she stopped for lunch after she got done at the trade depot usually.

But that was already two weeks ago.

Annie shook her head. "I don't like Raeger anymore."

Fritz stopped in his tracks and looked at her, confused. "Then who _do_ ya like?"

She shook her head again. "I can't tell you. It's a secret." In honesty, she just didn't want to have to go through another two weeks of torment while he so desperately tried to push her and her "crush" together. She knew he meant well, but… she almost pitied herself.

"Aww, come on, Annie!" he whined. "I'm your best fr – I still am your best friend, aren't I?"

She laughed. "Yes, you are. But I still can't tell you."

She led them over to her crop field and knelt in front of the tomato vines. She glanced around briefly for her watering can but decided to give up. She'd need to fertilize them first, anyway, and even before that she had to pick the ripe ones…

"If I help you out here, will ya tell me?"

Annie palmed her forehead. "No. You normally help me out anyway, because your farmland isn't good for vegetables, remember?"

Of course, she'd known that was a lie the first day she met him, but she didn't hold it against him because he really was, deep down, a hardworking kid from a poor family who just wanted to move to the countryside and relax. He was a lot like her, actually.

He grimaced, probably realizing his mistake in asking that. "W-well, what else can I do to make you tell me?"

She shrugged apathetically. He wasn't going to find out!

She looked around the farm, though, thinking of something to keep him busy so she could at least get something done today. "How about… you go weed the flower garden?"

He perked up. "Then you'll spill the beans?"

Annie nodded, and then he grinned.

"Ha! Flower garden? More like kindergarten!" he yelled, sprinting back to the front of her house where the hydrangeas and sunflowers were planted.

She heaved a sigh in relief. Not only was that a close call, but now she didn't have to worry about him for at least a half hour. Now where was that stupid watering can?

Her search efforts still proved unsuccessful and futile, and for a second she almost considered just hacking some loogies on them so that at least they wouldn't dry up in this unbearable heat. But she shook her head, telling herself that Fritz was definitely getting to her. She needed some more friends.

And that was almost exactly it. She needed some more people she could talk to so she didn't go insane from this one-sided crush – and that was the other half of the problem.

She didn't _want_ to like Fritz. She wasn't petty enough to care only about appearances, but if she was being honest… Fritz wasn't much to look at. He wasn't Prince Charming in any girl's storybook, she didn't think.

And to top it off, he was immature, selfish, clumsy, and just a dork.

"Ouch!"

Annie quickly turned around, silently questioning what was the matter.

He laughed awkwardly and clasped one hand over the other. "Something bit me."

…Yeah, he was definitely a dork.

…

"So you still won't tell me?"

Annie shook her head. "Not if you keep whining like that, no."

Fritz puffed out his bottom lip, pouting.

"That won't help you any," she told him sternly.

He frowned instead. "C'mon, what's the big deal? You switch crushes like you do underwear."

Her face flared up and her eyes widened. She certainly hoped he didn't know – or want to know – her changing habits! "That's – it's none of your business."

He wasn't exactly wrong, though. Before the truth or dare game he made her play, he asked her outright who she liked. At that time, it was Klaus. It wasn't unbelievable, either, really – a gentleman like him could certainly make her happy, and she actually wished it was possible to transfer her feelings for Fritz onto him.

And even though they were just fake crushes, she admitted there was definitely a problem with switching guys every now and then.

She was running out of guys.

"Aww! 'Course it's my business! We're best buddies, Annie."

She just kept shaking her head, though his protests were getting kind of funny as she glanced over to look at him. She pursed her lips. "You didn't weed the garden correctly, anyway."

He stepped back in horror, as if she'd just accused him of murder. "What?"

"You yanked out nearly half my hydrangeas."

"Well, someone had to! They looked silly next to the hibiscuses!"

She threw a glare at him. "They do not. Red and blue look great together!" Plus, when combined, they made her favorite color – purple. Well, actually, she just translated her favorite flower, violets, into her favorite color, but she couldn't grow violets right now because she didn't have the seeds, so she had to do with what she had.

Fritz sighed and kicked up some dust as they walked. "I'll tell you who I like if you tell me who you like."

Annie stopped in her tracks. There was no way she could do that; she couldn't sit through an entire session of Fritz gushing about someone who wasn't her, another girl he would eventually call his best friend.

He would really never see her the same way then, not if someone else pushed her way into his life and secured her place in his heart.

He was a dork, yes, but he had to be her dork. She bit her lip.

"Now I really can't tell you." Oh, great. Why'd she have to say it like that? Now he would probably catch on –

Or not. He really _was_ an idiot, after all.

"Well, why not?" He rubbed at the back of his neck.

She bit her lip. "I… just can't."

He sighed.

They were passing by the bridge to get to Fritz' and Giorgio's farms, so Fritz led her over to the nearby rocks and gestured for her to take a seat. He took a while to start talking.

"Annie…" And when he did he just trailed off with her name.

She looked at him blankly. There might've been something he wanted to say that he thought was important, but she knew it wouldn't be anything she really cared about so she wasn't too interested. He'd probably never return her feelings, so what was the point of listening to who he liked?

But that wasn't right. She liked him, so she wanted him to be happy, regardless of whether or not he liked her. He helped her when she was consumed by those fake crushes and would do everything in his power to set them two up – which usually just made for some awkward conversations between her and either Klaus or Raeger.

She was only eighteen. There was still plenty of time to find someone new if things didn't work out…

But for right now, she had to deal with the burdens of harboring feelings for her closest friend.

"Okay," she conceded. "Who do you like?" She turned her head. "I'll tell you if you tell me." Whenever she used his tricks and logic against him, he didn't catch on, and it usually made things go faster.

Fritz nodded, but he had a hard time starting his sentence, and he wouldn't meet her eye. He kept stuttering until Annie scolded him, and then finally he cleared his throat.

"Annie, I… I like you."

* * *

 _~CGA_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hey, it hasn't been a year yet! Awesome!

So ah, if there's anyone left over from last year, nice to see you again! And to new readers, I hope you enjoy this! I don't think chapter one's writing is too dated yet, though Annie's character may be significantly less snarky. She'll get better as the story goes on, I promise.

I'm going to do my very best to update this **every Thursday**. My other story, Loss, Regret, and Annie currently takes precedence, but that one's (almost) totally completed already. As for Fritz the Ditz here, well, story planning currently has it going past thirteen chapters, so you guys are in for a real treat! Let's just hope I can stick to the updating schedule and all that good stuff.

Not every chapter will be this choppy and segment-y, don't worry!

Thanks for sticking it out with me, guys!

oh and yes, _this is an extremely fluffy story. If you don't like fluffy cheese, I don't think you'd like this :P_

 **update:** Thanks, Accidentally The Whole Fanfic! Proofreading isn't one of my strong points! Sometimes what sounds good on paper/while typing is very awkward and clunky to read.

* * *

Annie sprung herself up from the rock, taken completely by surprise. She wasn't expecting that, to say the least.

"There's no way that's true," she said, trying to laugh it off. It was a good prank, she had to admit. It really had her going.

But Fritz didn't laugh with her. Instead, his brows were furrowed and his eyes held no indication of mischief. He looked completely serious.

Annie gulped, still coming to terms. "F-Fritz, you're for real?"

He nodded.

"Why me?"

"Because I like you."

He could stop saying that any time!

"That... doesn't give me an answer, though," she said, contradicting her thoughts and frowning. "Why me?"

He seemed to take a few moments to think about it, rubbing his neck. His serious demeanor was replaced with a sheepish smile. "Well, I, y'know... the usual reasons for liking someone."

"So I'm just a generic crush?" She knew he didn't mean it the way she did.

"N-no! Not at all!" He waved his hands around. "You're really special, Annie!"

There were so many other girls in town who she thought would come before her. Whenever Fritz got hurt, Angela bandaged him up. Elise disciplined him, probably more than Annie herself did, Agate shared his spunky attitude and love for animals... Meanwhile, she was just Annie. What did she have to offer?

She smiled half-heartedly. "But you don't have any reasons?"

He shook his head. "Not any good ones."

Annie rolled her eyes, though she didn't really have any specific reasons for liking him, either. Maybe it really could work.

...Or maybe she'd make a fool of herself when it blew up in her face.

She started getting frustrated. She had to do this the hard way, then.

"W-well, hypothetically, Fritz," she began, not meeting his eye but feeling the heat of his stare, "if two people like each other, then - "

"Then they go steady, right?"

She blinked, taken aback. Did he really just say that?

Regardless of the old-fashioned way he put it, did that mean he understood what he was saying? Did he realize the implications of his words?

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, nodded, and smiled. "Yeah. They go steady."

…

One week later, Annie was pretty used to being around him. Their relationship had barely progressed in its intimacy, though, and she grew antsy whenever she thought of them doing... more romantic things, being closer.

Not that she thought about it often or anything.

The two found themselves at the restaurant for lunch, though Fritz spent most of the time gushing to Raeger about Annie. Neither of them was particularly listening.

"And, and sometimes she'll make me pancakes shaped like little hearts, and the syrup - "

"Fritz," Raeger snapped, cutting him off immediately, "I don't care how often you kiss your girlfriend."

Annie nearly spit out her drink and Fritz backed away. Raeger didn't need to go _that_ far.

She bit her lip. Then again, it wasn't like he could get Fritz to be quiet any other way...

Raeger turned around, startled by the sudden silence, and saw them both blushing profusely. He cleared his throat. "Sorry, you two. That was pretty insensitive of me."

The three of them sat in an uncomfortable silence as Fritz and Annie finished their food.

She wasted no time getting up, excusing herself to both guys. That was embarrassing, to say the least.

She sighed heavily with a hand pressed up against her chest, feeling her heart pound rapidly.

There was the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned around, though she had a pretty good idea of who it was beforehand.

Fritz offered a small smile, obviously still shaken up himself. "Can we keep hanging out?"

Annie's heartbeat grew unsteady. But she couldn't let him know or see that. "Sure."

…

"Ah, Annie!" Fritz exclaimed. "You're veering off the edge! Veering off!"

"I know, I know! I'm controlling it!" she hollered back.

Annie didn't question it when he'd pulled out the remote-controlled truck, used to him doing the practically impossible at this point. She went along with it, but she couldn't say there wasn't a lingering thought in her mind. Where did he get it?

Because of the instability of the hills she had it driving over, the truck finally flipped over. They both groaned, disappointed. Annie handed the remote to Fritz and walked over to inspect the vehicle.

"Guess it didn't have enough battery left," she mumbled. Maybe she shouldn't have tried out all those stunts.

Fritz stood beside her. "I'm surprised, though. You're really good at steering that thing!"

She rolled her eyes playfully. "That wasn't what you had me believing. But yeah." She smiled. "We used to have one like this back home. It was a helicopter, though."

"Whoa!" Fritz's eyes grew wider. "Do you still have it? Maybe when we visit we can pick it up."

"N-no," she said abruptly. She cleared her throat, realizing she must have startled him. "I mean, it broke years ago. I'm pretty sure my dad threw it away by now."

She felt relieved he didn't catch on or ask more regarding the topic, but then she realized something.

"And what makes you think I'd bring you home?!"

Fritz grinned sheepishly. "I dunno. I thought I was a keeper?"

Her face grew hot and she turned her head away. "We-we'll see."

He seemed unperturbed, though, and picked up the dead truck, tucking it away with the remote into his torso. He looked over at her. "So... wanna do something else?"

For some reason, Raeger's words from earlier flooded her mind. She quickly shook her head to make them disappear. "It's getting pretty late. I should go home – I still need to put food out for the animals."

"Well, lemme help!"

"No..." she said warily, stepping back. "Remember the last time you helped with the animals?" He nearly used up her entire reserve of feed, and she had to keep her animals on a strict diet for a while so they could work off the excess.

"C'mon, Annie! I'm your boyfriend! At least let me walk you home." He set the truck down on a small pile of bricks.

She sighed, not really feeling like putting up a fight. She nodded slowly. "Okay." She bit her lip. "And seriously... you don't need to remind me of that. I'm already aware."

He laughed loudly beside her, eliciting a smile from her. At least they made each other happy. She glanced away in embarrassment. Not that she'd admit that so openly.

"So, uh, if we're dating and all," Fritz started, his tone making her even more nervous, "can I do... this?"

He grabbed her hand tightly and looked up at her, grinning stupidly.

Annie's cheeks heated up. "Do whatever you want," she said softly, looking the other way.

His hand trembled a bit in hers. "Don't tell me that!"

She stifled a laugh and tightened her grasp.

The walk up the winding hills was long and quiet, but they didn't let go of each other's hand. The atmosphere surrounding them was serene and peaceful, comfortably so until they stopped in front of her door.

The air was crisp and clean, the night was quiet except for a few crickets' chirps, and there wasn't anyone in sight on her acres of land.

Fritz suddenly let go of her hand, bringing his own up to rub the back of his neck. He sighed. "Uh, what Raeger said earlier... Sorry."

Annie was confused, and it must have shown on her face. "For what?" Unless he meant all that cutesy, cheesy nonsense about her he was spouting earlier.

"For, y'know... not being very boyfriend-y. I figured you probably wanted me to take the lead and do something 'cause I'm the guy, but the more I thought about it, the more nervous I got. So I just didn't do anything."

She didn't quite know what to think of that. It wasn't that doing romantic things hadn't crossed her mind, but for one, they were both still very young, and so was their relationship yet. She bit her lip.

Just the fact that he'd been thinking about all this, too, though...

So Fritz also had his own insecurities.

She hugged him, wrapping her arms all the way around him. She buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. "Don't apologize... you idiot. I'm nervous, too."

"H-hey!" he protested loudly, then his voice grew quieter with every word. "I know I probably deserve to be called that, but I don't wanna hear it from you..."

She hugged him more tightly. "Sorry," she muttered pathetically. "It just came out."

He wrapped his arms around her cautiously, resting his chin atop her head after fully realizing the difference in their heights.

They stayed like that for a while until an owl hooted from the woods far back, startling them both. They pulled apart, looked at each other, and laughed at the shock on their faces.

Then Fritz finally decided to head home.

As Annie watched him leave, she wondered if he started wearing a new kind of cologne – or just started wearing it in general. His scent, and the memory of it, left her stomach flip-flopping.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Well, jeez, my hands are all cracked and dry from work and the negative temperatures, but here I am neglecting them for you guys! Hope you enjoy! Now that this is out, I'm gonna go back to my room and rub petroleum jelly everywhere...

Also yes Boss's name is ripped from AP. I'm unoriginal, what can I say?

* * *

Even though it was formidably hot, Annie found herself outside gardening.

The tomatoes were sprouting up for probably the last time, judging by their size. As she plucked the sad vegetables, she frowned. Maybe if Fritz hadn't stepped all over the vines yesterday...

She turned a tomato over in her hand, sighing. All he did was cause trouble. Why did she like him?

Her dog started barking and whimpering, and she could hear his paws tearing up the soil behind her.

"Boss, what's wrong?"

She followed Boss's gaze to the edge of the farm where Fritz stood. She narrowed her eyes. What was he doing here?

"Annie!" he called with a wave, jogging over to her.

Boss whimpered some more, his eyes darting in anticipation between Fritz and her.

"Okay, okay, go get him," she said, giving up.

Boss bolted towards Fritz, his back feet kicking some loose dirt into Annie's face. She wiped it off with a grimace.

When she looked back, Fritz and Boss were roughhousing near the barn. She smiled and shook her head in amusement. Boys.

Well, at least they were occupied. She crouched back down to tend to the plants. Poor things. Maybe this was why Fritz didn't keep much of a farm of his own.

"Hey, Annie!" Fritz shouted from across the yard, bringing her attention back. "Need a hand?"

A chill ran down her spine. "Not yours," she muttered, not really caring whether or not he heard it. She cleared her throat and spoke up. "Why do I need to keep reminding you that helping me is a bad idea?"

Fritz glanced towards the half-empty flowerbed, all but destroyed in his futile attempt two weeks ago. "B-but I'm your boyfr - "

"No! You are _not_ pulling that again!"

He pouted. "So what do I do?"

"You could stop making that face." She looked around briefly, then shrugged, a sour expression on her face. "Just... keep Boss company."

"Aw... come on, Annie..."

"He gets lonely when I'm working."

Fritz crossed his arms and sat down right there on the ground. His angry mood dissipated after Boss came over and nudged his arms apart, though.

Annie nodded approvingly and resumed working. She sprinkled water and a handful of fertilizer on the crops that looked the healthiest. There weren't too many days left in the season, anyway.

Then she patched up the area of soil that Boss destroyed. Some days it felt like he liked Fritz better than her. A slight confirmation came when she saw them still playing together. She sighed to herself.

She took a quick look around the farm. Her animals had already been tended to. This much was fine for today. She stood up.

Fritz perked up after seeing her brush herself off. He retracted his hand from Boss's snout. "You got any other plans?"

She hesitated, not liking the way he lit up in excitement. True, it was only early afternoon, but who knew what he had planned?

She turned her head. "Not really..."

"Then c'mon! I wanna take you somewhere!"

He took her by the hand and started running.

"W-wait!" Annie called out. She untangled her hand from his and darted back to where Boss stood. He whimpered, believing he would be left behind.

"Sorry, Boss," she told him, ruffling his fur for a bit longer than necessary. "Be good while I'm out, okay?" She opened the front door and ushered him inside, ignoring his drooped ears. Oh, well. Not being spoiled for one day wouldn't hurt him.

She turned back and walked towards Fritz. His expression made her uncomfortable, though.

"What?" she demanded.

He just grinned and stuck his hands in his jeans pockets. "Nothin'. I just didn't think you could be nice like that."

"Wh-what?! Who do you think I am, some demon?"

"Maybe!" He laughed. "I don't think you've ever said one nice thing to me."

Annie's eyes widened. "Th-that's not true! I've told you plenty of nice things before."

"Like?"

Her cheeks burned as she tried to think. He was enjoying this!

"...Why do I need to be so nice to you, anyway?"

Fritz frowned. "'Cuz we're dating!"

"..."

It wasn't that he didn't have a point, but she didn't like him acknowledging it all the time. Well, okay, maybe she did.

"Fine," she conceded with a sigh. "I... I like your bluntness."

He grinned. "And?"

"And also how you – hey, don't push it!"

"Aww! But you totally have more to say!"

She sighed. "And I hate it when you whine like that."

He stepped back as if she offended him, then he crossed his arms. "W-well, _I_ hate it when you say things just to act tough like that."

"What?"

Fritz looked at her with a sad smile. "You act like you don't care about a lot of things, but I think you care too much. That's why you hide it behind that attitude."

She stared at him, thoroughly surprised. Not that... he saw through her or anything, but he had a more clever mind than she thought – and she knew him better than anyone else. Right?

"...Think what you want."

He nodded slowly, but she could tell there was still something on his mind.

"Spit it out, Fritz."

He averted his eyes to anywhere but her face. "I... I want you to stop being like that. I mean, I know you can't completely change your attitude all willy-nilly and stuff, but don't be afraid to show me your bad side – your actual bad side, y'know? Not the fake 'I hate everything' sorta mood you're always in."

He scratched his cheek and still wouldn't meet her eye.

Annie blinked. What could she say to that? What could anyone? _Okay, Fritz, I'm sorry for being such a jerk at times_?

She bit her lip. She wasn't being a very good girlfriend, was she? Was this any way to treat the person she liked – moreover, her best friend who'd already stuck with her through so much?

So she settled for a nod.

Then, like nothing was wrong, Fritz changed the subject.

"So, uh, still no plans, right?"

She shook her head, having already prepared those few minutes ago. "Can I at least change first?" Something told her she didn't want to wear her work clothes wherever he was taking her.

"No way!" he rejected immediately. "You'll take forever!"

She glanced down and blushed. "No, I won't." She sulked, knowing full well that it was true. She was still set in her makeup habits, even when she was working outside.

Annie looked over her work outfit. With a sigh, she guessed it didn't matter _too_ much since Fritz never commented on her appearance, anyway.

But still. She mulled it over.

"I'll be right back!"

She bolted to the front door, making sure to lock it behind her because she knew he'd be stubborn enough to follow her in.

She hastily ransacked her drawers for something more decent than dirty overalls, and she found solace in a plain tee and jeans. It already felt so much nicer.

She freshened up and gave herself a once-over in the bathroom mirror. She tried to smile at her reflection. It wasn't exactly a face she'd call pretty, but it would have to do.

Plus, as long as Fritz didn't complain...

"Annie! You're takin' _way_ too long!" He banged on the door, rattling the doorknob for good measure. "The train'll leave without us!"

So he _was_ planning to take her out of town! She knew she was right in changing.

She had to admit (but just to herself), she was a little happy that she wasn't the only one getting angry and scolding the other. They each gave and took a little.

Still, she made a few final touches and went back outside to greet him.

But as she saw him and realized she'd just gotten dressed, she grew nervous. "Fritz, is this... a date?"

He rubbed a hand on his neck, a telltale sign of his growing nerves, and laughed. "I-I guess, if that's what you wanna call it."

She couldn't believe the thought hadn't occurred to her until just now. They'd been dating for two weeks, so they were long overdue, even.

But then again, going into this relationship, she didn't really expect much in the way of dates.

They walked quietly down the hills, Annie's nerves threatening to take over.

It was just Fritz! What the heck did she have to be nervous about? Knowing him, it was probably a trip to the zoo or something. She wouldn't have minded, but she already had domesticated animals, not to mention she could see the "exotic" types at the safari any time she wanted.

Or it might have been another "all-expense-paid" trip to the restaurant in town. Not that she hated Raeger's company or anything, but she held onto at least an inkling of hope that Fritz would be more romantic than that.

Well, at least she knew it wouldn't be that, if they apparently needed to catch a train.

When they arrived at the station, Fritz frantically checked the train schedule, leaving Annie behind. This would be their first time leaving town together. Maybe he was excited?

...But there was nothing to get excited about. She felt her cheeks heat up. So what if it was a date? He probably didn't even understand how potentially important a first date was.

She scoffed at that, unintentionally gaining Fritz's attention.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing!" she replied quickly. He didn't need to know about her selfish doubts.

Fritz shrugged it off. "All right, so the train should be here in just a few minutes. I'm glad you didn't make us late!"

She threw a harsh glare his way. "I wouldn't make us late. You, on the other hand - "

"That's hard to believe!" He laughed. "You spend so much time screwin' up your prettiness."

She rolled her eyes. "It takes time to look good."

"You don't need time," he countered. "You... you always look good regardless." He put a fist to his mouth and turned his head, hoping to hide the red tint.

She bit her lip. He played unfair.

"...Whatever you say."

"Hey! Accept the compliment!"

She laughed. Sure, she said she hated it when he whined, but it was actually pretty funny and cute at times like this.

The train pulled into the station shortly afterwards, slowing to a stop. The side doors opened.

Annie got up and headed for the door, but a loud beeping noise behind her made her flinch, stopping in her tracks.

After the shock dissipated, she whirled around in hopes that Fritz might provide an answer. He didn't; instead, he pulled out something from his pocket, touched it, and brought it up to his ear, silencing the noise. Was that a cell phone?

He didn't look at her any time throughout the process, but she could see a pained expression on his face as he talked.

"...Fritz?"

What was going on?

* * *

 _~CGA_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Whoops, I broke the deadline I set for myself! Sorry, guys!

...But eh, you know those times when you look at what you have written for a chapter and just not like what's there? That's kinda what happened here. I had it mostly written and ready to post yesterday but then I reread it and said to myself, "This is crap. I can't post this!11"

So I hope this version's better! I'm glad I didn't post the unpostable crap version. Also when I was first planning this story, I turned Raeger into the creepy second dude who develops feelings for Annie out of nowhere. I'm extremely happy to say that won't happen here. I've been wanting to write a "pure" love story for a while now, and I hope that's what this will be. (Mainly because I think I'm pretty sapped out of ideas for Annie-centric stories for a while now.)

In other news (well, actually, I think I'm late to the party), did you guys know a new BokuMono/Story of Seasons game's been announced? If not, go check it out! I don't want to spoil anything for those who want to go into games blindly. The hype is reeeeal~

Uh, other than that, I finally bought all 23 volumes of Fruits Basket. It's the first entry in my officially licensed manga collection, which I'm hoping to expand on now that I'm not paying off car issues. Don't be a pirate if you can help it! Even if scans are super nice

...I dunno when I decided to make these author notes ranting spaces. I'll stop now. Chapter five marks the beginning of a brand new arc, and I promise you'll like it!

* * *

"So I threw it on the ground."

Raeger dropped his fork on the plate in front of him, making a loud clinking noise. He stared at her with wide eyes. "You threw his phone on the ground?"

His incredulous tone caught Annie off guard. She nodded hesitantly. "Is that bad?"

He scoffed. "Well, I think so! What if you broke it?"

Annie bit her lip and turned away. She didn't break it. She would've heard it.

Then again, after throwing the phone down, she just stormed off. Maybe she didn't hear anything in her fit of anger.

"So I'm in the wrong?" she asked softly. She hadn't thought of that possibility until now, chalking it up as "Fritz being inconsiderate." It wouldn't be unlike him to do something like that – ignore her in favor of someone more important.

Raeger nodded. "You didn't wait for him to finish his conversation, or ask who he was talking to, or even respect his personal property. It could've been something important."

He chuckled. "I can't believe you have to ask if you were wrong. And I'm even more surprised that it took you two days to question it."

She slouched in her stool. Two days passed because it took her that long to calm down. She was so angry, believing that Fritz blew her off for some stupid phone call. It was supposed to be their first date.

But she saw his face. It was full of pain. He had to strain himself to keep up whatever conversation he was having, and she didn't like seeing that. Maybe she was being too harsh...

"I just... don't like phones," she admitted, twiddling her fingers.

"You need to tell Fritz that, not me," Raeger told her sternly.

She groaned. Why couldn't she just be normal? Fritz probably would've been better off with a more obedient girlfriend, someone who wouldn't go traipsing off because she was upset over a little thing like this. She'd ignored everyone else in town out of fear that she would see him somewhere.

Fritz had to be a masochist or something. Why else would he put up with her selfish, stubborn attitude all the time?

Annie looked up at Raeger with a weak smile. "Sorry for dragging you into this."

He brushed it off. "It's all right. I'm happy to help. Just don't make a habit of it, because I'm busy."

"Yeah, right! That's why you're here slacking off and eating!" She punched his arm.

He rubbed at it tenderly, feigning pain. "I'm on break."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

The two ate in a more comfortable silence. When Raeger finished, he spoke up.

"But really, you should apologize to him."

Her face fell. She knew he was right. Fritz didn't deserve to be treated like that, especially not by her. She was such an idiot.

She took in a deep breath. It was time to buck up and shape up. "Okay."

She dug her fork into her omelet, cutting it up into tiny, bite-size pieces. It was good that she went out for dinner today. She didn't realize how much she needed to just rant – and get told off. Jeez, relationships were difficult.

As she ate, she noticed Raeger had left his spot behind the counter. He was tending to the other customers now. That was fine. After reflecting on her actions, she needed a few minutes to herself. She didn't know what she would say to Fritz just yet.

She'd collect her thoughts here and then she'd go try and smooth things over.

The door slammed open and Annie nearly choked on her food. She was about to yell right after Raeger did, but then she saw who it was.

Of course it had to be Fritz, just because she wasn't ready to see him yet. Besides, she didn't know anyone else who burst through doors like that.

They locked eyes and Annie gulped, completely unprepared and speechless.

But then he looked away and smiled at Raeger instead. "Hiya, Raeger!" He seemed unperturbed by the scolding Raeger had just given him for startling the customers.

Fritz and Raeger engrossed themselves in a conversation, and Annie just sat there.

So he was ignoring her. She guessed she couldn't blame him, because she'd been avoiding him since she chucked his phone. Would he even accept an apology from her? Or was he tired of her already?

She put a hand to her forehead. It wasn't like her to get bothered and insecure like this. Stupid Fritz... doing more than necessary.

Well, in any case, seeing as he was currently preoccupied, she'd wait. At least she could get her thoughts together.

…

They were finally alone, at his house, even, so they wouldn't be bothered.

Before he left the restaurant, she called out to him so they wouldn't miss each other again – and so he didn't leave without saying anything to her.

But now what? The mood was horrible. How could she start?

"F-Fritz, um..." Her words caught in her throat.

"I'm sorry."

She snapped her head up. "Huh?" Why was he apologizing? He had nothing to make up for...

Fritz averted his eyes. "I should've told you what that was all about."

He probably meant the phone call. She couldn't deny that she was still curious.

Annie cleared her throat. "No. It's none of my business what it was. You don't have to tell me."

"R-really?" he asked, a complicated expression on his face. "You're not even a little interested?"

She sighed. "Don't say it like that. I mean... jeez, of course I'm interested. I like... knowing things about you. I want to know more." She turned her head in an attempt to hide her flushed cheeks.

"Aaaaannie..."

"Wh-what?" She turned back towards him. That was a new tone.

"Don't... say things like that." He rubbed his neck.

"You're the one who told me to be nicer!"

"Well, sure, but it's just, y'know... a little embarrassing."

She rolled her eyes. "You're telling me."

Annie lay back farther on the sofa. At least they could still talk normally, but the atmosphere still felt a little tense.

"Um, so Fritz," she started awkwardly, "I'm really sorry."

He cocked his head to the side like a dog. "Sorry for what?"

"F-for nearly destroying your phone!" Did he forget already, or was he just that naively forgiving?

"What, this?" He pulled it out from his jeans pocket almost immediately. The device looked completely unscathed.

"How...?"

Fritz laughed. "This thing's kinda indestructible. It's perfect for someone like me!"

She smiled in agreement. She watched him brush off the screen, and then her earlier curiosity got the better of her.

"How did you get the money for that?"

He seemed a little caught off guard, stuttering before finally replying intelligibly. "Well, I didn't really pay for it."

"Y-you stole it?!" Her voice grew louder. "Fritz, what the heck - "

"Hey, you didn't let me finish!" he interrupted, wearing a slightly hurt expression. "It's like you don't trust me at all sometimes."

Annie scoffed and crossed her arms. It wasn't like he jumped at the chance to continue after saying he didn't pay for it. What was she supposed to think?

"Anyway," he started, "let's just say I, uh, know someone in the electronics business. When there's a janky product or something, he has to get rid of it, so he usually just gives it to me."

Did that explain the remote-controlled truck, too? But what was up with that suspicious wording?

He "knew someone in the electronics business?"

"...You're actually a pretty shady person, aren't you, Fritz?"

"What?" His eyes widened. "I-I'm not! I promise!"

Annie laughed while he tried to redeem and explain himself. She felt multitudes better already. What an overreaction earlier. She still felt like she had to apologize more, but Fritz wasn't giving off any upset vibes.

Was everything okay, then?

The air was cleared and they were just talking about silly, mundane things until the clock on the wall chimed. They both looked up at it.

"Crud! It's already ten?" Fritz ruffled his hair and turned towards her. "It's getting kinda cold out now. Want me to walk you home?"

She didn't understand the connection between those sentences, but she nodded. She didn't realize that so much time had passed already.

She wanted to stay with him a little longer... But she wouldn't tell him that, no way.

Besides, now that they were on pretty good terms again, she could probably see him more often.

It was dark and quiet as they traveled up the hills, and the early autumn breeze caught her by surprise. When Annie shivered, Fritz grabbed her hand and pulled her close to his side.

"Y'know, Annie, you should probably start wearing a jacket this time of year," he told her in a teasing voice.

"Sh-shut up."

He was right, though. The thin knitted sweater she had on did nothing to protect her from the wind. She was pretty sure her hand was the only part of her upper body that wasn't cold, because Fritz was holding it.

She squeezed his hand tighter.

"...Sorry I'm not a good girlfriend."

Fritz stopped in his tracks, startling her and making her stop, too. She stared back at him, a blank expression on his face.

"Fritz?"

He shook his head as if snapping out of some reverie. "Why would you say that?"

She bit her lip, not expecting him to have actually heard that. "W-well..."

She scolded him most of the time for being childish and silly, but she could be like that, too. And there was nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, she kind of liked it that way.

She wasn't very honest, especially when it came to matters concerning herself. She didn't know how to communicate like that after keeping to herself for such a long time, but she knew that Fritz wanted to talk about their lives before Oak Tree Town.

That wasn't all, though. She pushed him away when he was quite possibly the only one who could make her feel better. He never put her down or made her cry or anything of the sort, and he always made situations fun.

That was why she liked him. But...

"All I do is cause trouble," she admitted, originally saving that thought for him. "I'm unreliable, worthless, and kinda mean, and I'm always doing something wr - "

"Annie."

She looked up just a second too late to back away.

Fritz kissed her gently on the lips. She didn't feel sparks or butterflies or anything, but she did feel an indescribable warmth wash over her entire body. It relieved all of her doubt, if only for that one moment.

He brought a hand slowly up to her face, and as soon as it made contact she pulled away, brought back to reality.

"S-sorry," she muttered, hiding her face. That was... a kiss? With Fritz?

"I don't want you to say that again."

She blinked in confusion. "You don't want me to apologize?"

"No, no, not that. Well, I mean, not so much apologizing." He frantically stumbled over his words.

"...You're not worthless, Annie." He grabbed her hand again, rubbing a finger over her knuckles. "I know I'm not the brightest guy around, but you like me, anyway... I think, and that means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me."

She averted her gaze, unable to hide her embarrassment. "Y-you can stop with the mushy stuff any time."

"I don't want to."

He used his grip on her hand to pull her into him, resting his chin atop her head. She smelled nice.

"F-Fritz - "

"Annie, _do_ you like me?"

"What?"

How could he be saying and doing all this without getting flustered like she was? She should've been asking him if he really liked her.

"You do like me, right?" he tried again, totally oblivious to her racing thoughts and heart. Or maybe he could hear her heart pounding and wanted to test it more.

She nodded slowly, clinging to him. Either way, she really did like his bluntness. She was drawn to it.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her tighter. "Then say it. I want to hear it from you."

This was so unfair. He was pouting like usual, but he was using their proximity to ensure she couldn't back out.

But she was the cause of his insecurity. She hadn't even told him she liked him yet... She was so inexperienced and awkwardly clumsy with everything, she was always surprised that she was who he picked.

Fine. He could have it his way.

"I like you."

"Hmm? I didn't catch that; you were mumbling."

"You - !" She pulled away and stared up at him, watching angrily as he smiled.

He'd expect her to get mad and refuse to say it again, right? Maybe she could do a surprise attack, even if it was embarrassing.

She looked him in the eye. "I like you, Fritz."

As soon as she said it she turned away, face hot. The cool night breeze was no match for her now. Speaking of that...

"Come on. I wanna get home." They'd been standing there for a while. She was just glad it was nighttime, otherwise someone might have seen them.

Fritz smiled and followed after her.

"Oh, and Fritz?"

"Yeah?"

She crossed one arm over the other as she walked. "I'm expecting something better than that for our first date, so..."

He grinned. "Got it. I'll call you out again soon, so be ready!" He caught up to her. "Annie?"

She turned her head to look at him.

"I'll tell you everything about me someday, too."

She smiled and nodded. She'd look forward to that.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I _cannot_ believe I can finally consider myself someone who updates her stories weekly. After being on this site for six years (holy shit that's sinking in hard), I've seen a lot of stories that I care about come and go, and unfortunately the majority of stories here are indefinitely unfinished. While I can't exactly say all of mine are completed or even close to it... at least I'm focusing on two (eh... or four, kinda) at a time! Baby steps.

I guess it's just neat to look back on things you've accomplished sometimes, and then you get to write author notes like this and sound all old and stuff...

Anyway, review responses! In general, thank you to everyone who's reviewing, favoriting, and following! It means so much to me, and it makes me so incredibly happy to wake up, check my tablet, and see, like, five emails from people who like my stories - either this one or other ones entirely. Huge thanks to Icefire for giving me a good laugh right when I needed it, and to Mewsea for your continuous meaty reviews ^^ And I actually wasn't trying to reference anything, and the only thing I can come up with off the top of my head is the "I threw it on the ground" song, lol. Also the Raeger rivalry thing was creepy in the planning stage: I literally had written "Annie didn't want to confront Raeger and his creepy feelings." We'll see what happens! Failisse, this updates every Thursday~ And don't worry, Fritz will show his aggressive side as time passes! I think both he and Annie are just coasting along right now...

We're on chapter five, guys! And there's so much more to go still! (I don't even remember what the plan was with this last year when I first posted it and said it wouldn't be longer than Apple Pie. This is, uh, gonna keep going on for a while, probably.)

* * *

Annie was thinking maybe she could try making curry tonight.

Of course, the thought only occurred to her after she started picking through the goods from Sakura Country.

"Do you see anything you like?" Yoshino asked from behind the stand.

"Ah... I'm just looking." But then she remembered Yoshino was an Easterner – he would know how to make an authentic curry, right? "Actually, I was kind of wondering - "

"Hey, Annie!"

She flinched, immediately forgetting the potential ingredients and advice. "Fritz!" she chided loudly. She saw him lingering around here earlier, but she didn't know he followed her.

Her voice only grew louder after he snaked an arm around her waist.

"S-stop!" she cried, easily wriggling out of his grasp. She placed his arm at his own side and pointed at it threateningly, as if telling it to stay. What was with him all of a sudden?

"I'm so sorry," she said to Yoshino, offering a bow of her head. He waved it off and encouraged her to continue browsing.

Having Fritz breathing down her neck made it harder to concentrate, though. She gulped nervously and settled for some basic ingredients – rice and soy sauce. She was running low, anyway.

She took out enough coins to cover the cost and quickly thanked Yoshino. When they were a distance away from the booth, she handed the grocery bags to Fritz.

"Wha - "

"If you're going to stand around, you can at least make yourself useful."

He grinned. "Sure. Anything for you, Annie!"

She snapped her head back, ready to glare out of embarrassment, but he was just smiling nonchalantly without a care. That was strange. Normally he would be brooding over her harsh intonation. What was he up to?

Memories of the more tender parts of the other night flooded her mind. Was he still giddy about that? She couldn't exactly deny her own happiness, she supposed.

They made it back to her house relatively quickly. When she unlocked the door, Boss bounded outside and tackled Fritz to the ground, effectively spilling the contents of the bags.

"Boss!" She sighed and crouched down to gather her items, not knowing whether or not to scold Fritz, too. He went to town right away, playing with Boss.

After a few moments he finally realized what she was doing and began helping her.

"You sure bought a lot of rice!" he remarked with a laugh.

She shrugged. "It's cheap."

"Ohh," he said, seemingly understanding something. "Are you saving up for something?"

She rolled her eyes. "We can't all live in luxury like you."

"You think I'm rich?" He pointed to himself, and she nodded. "Do I give off that vibe or somethin'?"

She scoffed and led the way through the door. "Well, you _do_ have a state-of-the-art cell phone..."

"This hunk of junk? The power button's busted!"

Oh, right. He did say he got things when they were defective.

He pulled out the phone, trying to show her that locking the phone did nothing.

"If the battery dies, that's it! No more phone!"

Annie wasn't exactly listening, though, preoccupied with putting away the rice and sauce.

Fritz brought up a different subject after she was done. "So are you free tomorrow?"

"Hmm? Yeah," she replied quickly, then she cleared her throat. "I mean, I guess, sure." She kept her schedule free just in case he asked, but she didn't want him to think she was just waiting alone.

He smiled brightly. "Great! Make sure you do your farm stuff kinda early, 'cause we'll be leaving around eight!"

Her eyes widened. "Eight in the morning?"

Fritz just nodded in response.

As far as she knew, Fritz wasn't an early riser. They never met before noon, it seemed, and during the few sleepovers they'd had, he'd never woken up before she had to leave. Just what did he have planned...?

Asking him wouldn't do anything, either, as she'd found out he was quite good at keeping secrets – like he could tame wild boars, the fact that he liked her, and now this secret regarding the phone call.

She stopped to think for a moment. She really didn't know much about him, did she? He really could've been a spoiled rich kid and she'd be none the wiser. Well, at least he promised to reveal stuff soon, though that meant she also had to come clean.

"Yep, eight o'clock!" he repeated cheerfully, bringing her back. "I'll come pick you up. The train doesn't leave 'til eight thirty."

Annie felt her heart rate pick up in excitement. She wanted to know what was going on now, but it was nice being lost in anticipation sometimes. She smiled. "Okay."

…

The next morning, Annie woke up at a dreadful five AM to start her chores. She could easily get everything done before Fritz showed up.

It didn't surprise her to see her livestock still asleep – after all, early morning was dark regardless of season. As to not wake them up, she just put out some more food and cleaned around them.

She didn't have too many crops growing yet, being only the fourth day of fall, but she watered the few there and sprinkled some fertilizer. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and decided it was time for a shower.

After getting out, she dried off and checked the clock. Seven thirty. Fritz would probably be here soon.

She made sure everything was in order – hair, teeth, face, clothes – before checking her purse. Emergency toothbrush, comb, makeup, body spray, deodorant... So maybe she was going a tad overboard, but she didn't have the first clue of where Fritz was taking her, and...

This was her first date ever. What could she expect?

Come to think of it... was this his, too? Did he have prior experience?

Three knocks pounded on the door. That must have been Fritz.

She opened up the door and tried to usher him inside, but Fritz wouldn't have any of it.

"No time to lay around! Let's go!" He grabbed her hand and all but yanked her through the doorway.

"Ah! Wait, jeez!"

She took her hand back and walked over to grab her purse. She wasn't "laying around," stupid Fritz. "Look after the house, Boss!"

The dog didn't respond, curled up on his side sound asleep. There was no waking him up before noon, either.

After she locked up, Fritz was still urging her to hurry.

"Why? We still have a half hour, right?"

"Wrong! The train'll be here any time!"

"Wh-what?!" Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You said eight - "

"I know what I said! I was wrong, okay?"

Annie stared at him wordlessly, taken aback by his angry tone.

She had no time to dwell on it, though. This was their first date! She wasn't going to stand there and watch their plans get ruined again.

So they made a beeline for the station, where hopefully they wouldn't get left behind again.

It took right around ten minutes of sprinting to get there. Annie felt relatively okay, thanks to her stamina training while working on the farm. But how was Fritz holding up? He was just a little ahead of her the whole way.

She glanced up.

"C'mon!" he shouted, waving his arm in a circle.

How was he not tired...? Annie shook her head. Whatever.

Thankfully, the train hadn't left yet, but it quickly closed the doors and took off after they boarded.

Annie sighed heavily and leaned back in her seat, fully exhausted. When she got a quick glance of the train station's clock, it wasn't even eight yet. She just hoped whatever Fritz had planned was worth all this excitement.

After a while, she decided to break the silence. "So, where are we going?" Maybe he was too excited – or tired – to remember it was a secret.

"I can't tell you," he said teasingly, not a hint of fatigue in his voice. Darn it.

She bit the inside of her cheek, quietly pouting. "How far away is it?"

Fritz took the time to think about it, putting a finger to his chin. "Probably... about four hours by train?"

"Are you asking or telling me?"

Four hours... She felt a huge weight come crashing down on her excitement. And she thought just getting to the station took forever.

She glanced around the train's cab. It was totally empty except for them.

She started to feel a bit nervous. Just the two of them alone for four hours? How long would it be until someone else boarded?

What if he kissed her again?

She quickly shook her head, banishing the thought. No way.

Beside her, Fritz settled in. He slouched somewhat with his hands resting on his stomach, looking comfortable.

Annie watched him in envy, wishing she could relax, too. The lack of sleep from her excitement wasn't doing much to quell the pounding in her heart. They were so close.

She was tired and sore and just wanted to sleep until they arrived.

Fritz sighed contently after a few minutes, opening one eye to look at her. "Hey, Annie, aren't you tired?"

"Huh?" How could he tell? Did she have pink eye now?

He smiled. "C'mon, rest your head on me and sleep. We've got a long way to go."

She wanted to object but he'd already pulled her closer. He was so warm and comfortable and had such a nice scent that her need for sleep overpowered her nerves. She closed her eyes and relaxed into him.

"There ya go," he said soothingly. He rested a hand on her shoulder as she used his for a pillow. "I'll wake you up when we get there."

"Mm," she replied sleepily, as that was all she could do. Maybe Fritz could be dependable sometimes.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Not sure if I already mentioned this (I probably have, like 27 times), but this chapter is the first of a 7- or 8-chapter arc. The story ain't disappearing anytime soon, don't worry :p

Also blarrrrgh don't have time for a proper review response, but I keep the weekly update schedule thing with my incredibly thought out (yeah right) handy little ideas notebook for all my stories. Pretty much every story I've ever worked on has the main points plotted out, etc, with some unintelligible dialogue to be deciphered later. It's a strange and unnecessarily difficult process, but it's been working so far! Now let's see if I can resurrect some of my older stories with this method... But anyway it's not really anything special. I just don't have any sort of a social life lol, so I'm able to churn them out pretty quickly. Oh yeah, and I work four ten-hour days versus five eight-hour days, so Friday is usually the day I sit myself down and forcewrite.

Thank you for the feedback! I'm going through some kind of difficult family issues right now, so sorry if I seem distant or anything, but I hope the quality of my writing doesn't suffer because of it (insert heart here because you can't do less than signs here). Annie and Fritz OTP 4eva

* * *

"Mama, are they going out?"

Annie stirred in her sleep, closing her eyes tighter. That voice didn't come from her dream.

"Sweetheart, it's not nice to stare."

Her eyelids felt heavy but she slowly lifted them, anyway, accepting that those were people's voices, not talking bunnies'.

She felt her body being slightly pushed and pulled around, and that gave her the motivation to fully open her eyes. She met the gazes of several different people, adults and children alike. What...?

Then she remembered the details and where she was.

The train. The date. Eight o'clock. Fritz.

"Fritz!" she exclaimed, shaking the dork awake. He mumbled groggily. "Oh, for – Fritz!"

She shook him again, paying no mind to the other people's stares. Well, actually...

"What time is it?" she asked the small crowd, turning her head.

"It's nearly two in the afternoon, dear," replied a woman with a kind voice. Annie recognized it as the mother with the nosy child.

Two o'clock? She sighed, slumping back in the seat. She couldn't believe she trusted Fritz to wake her up. He was dependable, all right. And to think all those people, and probably even more, saw them in such an embarrassing sleeping position, jeez.

She watched Fritz in minor annoyance. So much for the date, after all...

Well, it wasn't like she bore no blame. If she would've gotten decent sleep last night instead of anticipating mundane stuff, none of this would've happened.

She crossed her arms, waiting for those last few people to quit staring.

This was their first date.

She bit her lip as she thought about it. Could they really afford to keep riding the train? Who knew how many stops back they had to be?

Fritz yawned sleepily and started stretching, at least saving her the trouble of waking him up.

"Mm... morning, Annie."

She stared straight ahead, refusing to give into the temptation of looking at him. She already knew that he was adorable when he woke up.

"Fritz, it's almost two."

He rubbed at his eyes, seemingly not paying any attention to her. He stared up at her with both big, sleepy eyes open.

She sighed. "We missed our stop."

"Huh?"

It took a few moments for his brain to catch up, but she could see it register on his face. He bolted upright in the seat and stared behind him out the window. "Ah! No!"

He stood up and started frantically running around, darting back and forth between the ends of the car. During some of the more bumpy sections on the track, he would fall sideways into the people near him.

The other passengers groaned and protested, one complaining that his ankle hurt. Annie apologized profusely, unsure herself of what Fritz was doing. He wouldn't listen to her when she told him to stop and calm down.

Once the train started slowing to a stop, arriving at the next station, Fritz grabbed his jacket and sprinted out of the barely open doors.

Annie hurried after him, huffing as she tried to keep up with him. They just woke up! "Fritz...! What are you doing?"

Behind her, the train doors squeaked shut, separating her and the people she was just on board with. She turned around. "Ah! The train's leaving!"

They had to get back on, right? Otherwise they wouldn't be able to get back to town...

Fritz didn't seem to be paying attention, though, still running ahead. She watched silently as the train pulled away, chugging along on the old tracks.

He stopped walking and turned around. "C'mon, Annie! We can still make it!"

Was he... suggesting they walk all the way back to whatever stop they missed?

"Um... no. We can't." She shook her head, already exhausted, and sighed when he frowned. "Look, can't we just do something here?"

She glanced around the area. "Er, wherever we are."

He ran a hand through his bedhead. "I mean... there was something really special I wanted you to see." He smiled a bit. "Just wait a few, okay? Let's find out where we are."

He walked up to the reception desk. Annie couldn't make out anything he was saying and didn't particularly feel like following him, so she just sat down on a bench and waited. There were a few other people hanging around the area, too, but she ignored them.

Something special he wanted to show her, huh? She wondered what he meant by that. The day looked like a mystery, to be sure, but not the exciting kind that Fritz had been promising her.

After a while, he came back with a troubled expression. Annie frowned, already not liking this.

"All right, so... good news or bad news?"

"Fritz."

"Okay! Bad news is there's no train scheduled to leave 'til six."

She palmed her face. Great.

"But!" He held up a finger to heighten the suspense. "Good news is I know where we are. It's just a few stops away from where we wanna be. We could probably just... spend some time here."

He had a very strange aura about him today, she noticed. He was trying to cheer her up and make the best of things for her, but if she looked closely she could see the stress and fatigue building up.

She nodded slowly. "Sure."

He was trying his best, even though he obviously knew he screwed up. The least she could do was try to go along with him and make the most of it.

They found an arcade full of older games they used to play as children. Annie wasn't as familiar or accustomed to them as Fritz, but that didn't stop her from beating him at most of them.

After getting his spirit thoroughly crushed, he suggested they go somewhere else.

Annie spotted a town clock as they walked, seeing that it was only four. She frowned, though, looking up at the sky. It was dark for this time. Was it going to start raining before the train arrived?

Fritz's stomach growled loudly and she looked at him expectantly. She didn't want to admit it, but she was getting hungry, too.

They stopped in their tracks. Fritz dug through his pockets, looking for something, but gave up shortly after.

"Must've left it at home..." he muttered.

Annie tilted her head. "Left what at home?"

"Er... my phone. I would've been able to check for restaurants and stuff around here."

Didn't he say he'd been here before? But before that...

She pursed her lips. She didn't know why, but whenever he brought up that phone, all these questions just started rampaging through her mind, the most prominent: didn't it cost money to keep it active?

Sure, he'd gotten it for free, but did that person seriously pay for the service, too? She highly doubted that.

And if he had bills to pay and whatnot, how could he afford to just slack off all day? What did he even _do_ with his farmland? Was he actually, like she thought...

"Are you from a rich family?" she heard herself ask, not meaning to. She tried to laugh to lighten her tone, but it didn't feel very natural.

Fritz's eyes widened as he stared at her. "How'd you know?"

What?

She didn't know what to say, disbelief blocking her words. She blinked and squinted her eyes, making sure this was really Fritz.

He didn't deny it – in fact, he practically confirmed it. What was a rich kid doing out in the middle of nowhere? What could Oak Tree possibly offer him?

"Why - "

"Oh, hey! That place looks good."

Cutting her off before she could start, he pointed to a building with "The Dish" written on it. She rolled her eyes a little but figured they didn't really have much of a choice. She followed him inside as he walked through the door.

Six o'clock couldn't get here soon enough.

...

After they finished eating, it was only going on five PM. When they stepped outside, they discovered it was pouring down rain.

"Man, I thought I heard somethin'," Fritz said in disappointment.

Annie felt it, too, because even though she saw the gray sky earlier, she hoped for clear weather, if only until the train came.

"What do we do, then - book it to the station?" she asked.

Fritz shook his head. "No. We have to wait it out somewhere. It doesn't look like it'll let up anytime soon."

It didn't. They were getting soaked just standing under the restaurant's awning.

He rubbed at the back of his neck and grimaced. "If that's the case, then... I don't think the train back'll get here tonight."

"Huh?" She wasn't following.

"Well... it's old and rickety as it is already, and to follow the tracks back to town, it has to pass on an elevated point. I'm not the best explainer, but I can guess we won't be getting back until the rain quits."

Annie glanced away, still not understanding but not liking what he was saying. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but... "You're sure about this?"

He nodded with a serious expression. "I know people who've gotten stuck here before because of the rain."

"Why are we taking that train in the first place?! If it's so unsafe - "

"It's a different train, Annie!" he told her, calming down afterwards. "I don't like it, either, but it's the only choice we got 'cause I'm an idiot."

"...Don't say that." He wasn't the only one at fault.

She sighed. She could understand if there was a snowstorm or a buildup of snow or something, but rain? What was the matter with wet tracks? Loss of traction?

She guessed she didn't really want to know at this point.

She looked Fritz's way. He said he knew someone who got stuck here before. Who did he know? Was Fritz from here, too, and if so, why didn't he take her here instead of that place two stops back or whatever?

Who was Fritz?

"All right," Fritz announced calmly. "I got an idea, and it's the only one I have so don't complain."

She scoffed, brought back. Anything was better than standing out in the rain.

"How about we just rent a hotel or something for the night?"

"..."

She should've expected that, seeing no other real option herself. They were stranded in a relatively unfamiliar town, it was raining cats and dogs, the train wasn't running because of the rainstorm, and... she was getting cold. Fritz probably was, too.

She didn't have to think twice because she already knew how she would respond, but her nerves crowded her mind and she could just barely manage a nod. Her first date with Fritz, somewhat ruined by both of their lack of sleep, maybe made up for with some alone time...?

But just what did "alone time" mean to Fritz? Did he even think that way at all?

She closed her eyes and willed the thoughts away.

"Y-yeah."

* * *

 _~CGA_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Short-ish chapter today, sorry! I really didn't know how to lengthen it without delving into the next chapter, though, and it'd be really awkwardly choppy. Before I forget, like I have for the past five updates, I'm changing the subgenre to Drama... It's definitely Romance, but I'm not quite so sure it's Humor anymore, if it even was in the first place :P I'm way funnier in my head than what I actually say and do.

Also yes cliffhangers are my favorite, they are so fun

(Oh, and just in case anyone's seen those glaring typos in the previous chapters... I'm going back to fix them now! As I've said before, proofreading is totally not my strong point, lol. I get impatient.)

Thank you for all the feedback! It makes me so happy :)

* * *

Annie and Fritz checked all the hotels and even came across a couple small inns within walking distance, but none of them had two rooms available. And up until the last one they visited, they were tiny to begin with.

Though, Annie had to admit, she was impressed with all the business, let alone the number of hotels, in the small town.

"Why are you guys all packed?" Fritz asked the receptionist after hearing there was only one room available.

The receptionist frowned. "You two haven't heard about the storm?"

"Storm?" Annie looked at Fritz, both sharing a dumbstruck expression.

"It was on the news this morning," the lady informed them. "It sounds like there's a huge thunderstorm moving in from the west. They don't know how long it'll last, though, or even when it'll start."

She looked them over with a pitiful gaze. "But I would say it'll start any time."

Right. After the rain started pouring down, anyone would think there was a storm on its way, really, especially when people were entering these places soaked from head to toe. Then that was why all the vacancies were booked. Those people were probably stuck here, just like them.

Neither Fritz nor Annie had the chance to watch the news earlier, too caught up in getting ready. They didn't know it would be this bad.

It figured that the one day they planned the date for was the day there would be a frightening storm. Hopefully this wouldn't last more than one night.

Annie cleared her throat. "I think we should just take the room that's here."

Fritz stopped his conversation and looked back at her. "You sure?"

She nodded. "Y-yeah. I mean, if we don't, we're out of luck for the night, and it's getting kinda cold. Besides... how many times have we slept in the same room before?" she added in a whisper.

True, it'd only been a few times that they'd had sleepovers, and they obviously hadn't had any since they started dating, but dwelling on that didn't help her calm down.

Fritz nodded hesitantly in agreement. "All right." He turned to the receptionist. "We'll take the room."

She smiled. "Okay, then." She fumbled with some things in her desk before pulling out a key. "That will be three hundred gold, please."

Annie started reaching into her pocket but Fritz grabbed her arm. He already had his wallet out, counting out money.

She couldn't let him pay for this, too! He already paid for the train fare, the restaurant and the tip... She was starting to feel guilty. It wasn't like she was wealthy, but she'd brought enough money with her to take care of herself.

Then again... Fritz supposedly came from a rich family.

She shook her head in disbelief, staring at him while the final adjustments were made. Who was he? The son of an ultra important CEO? Or maybe his father was a doctor with two older sons and he was free to do what he wanted...

"All right, Annie! Let's go!"

She nodded and followed after him, pushing back the other thoughts. How bad could the truth really be? Knowing Fritz, it wasn't anything dark or too serious.

The room was on the first floor so they didn't have to walk too far. Fritz stuck the key in the door and turned it, letting Annie go in first.

There was one bed and a dresser with a small TV on it. The décor was very basic, with white walls and sheets. It wasn't much bigger overall than Fritz's living room, so there wouldn't even be enough room to set up a makeshift bed on the floor...

Sleeping in the same room was no big deal, but the same bed?

Fritz cleared his throat, stepping into the room himself. "So, uh, it looks like there's a bathroom attached. You should take a shower first – I think you're wetter than me."

"S-sure," she replied hesitantly, almost forgetting just how cold and wet they both were. She couldn't feel her hands.

She looked around. "Is – are there robes or something around here?"

He surveyed the room, too, and shrugged. "Check the bathroom."

She nodded and headed in. She saw them right away, folded neatly on top of the towels.

"They're in here, Fritz!" she called out. "I'm going in now."

"'Kay!"

Annie locked the door and started the water, making sure it was warm enough. As it filled up, she started undressing, noticing how hard it was to peel the layers away from her skin.

She stepped in the tub and shut off the tap, relaxing as she sat down. It was nice and warm. She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. To think the day would turn out like this.

Oh, well. At least it was better than spending their first date in town. The last thing she needed was to be super nervous and embarrassed that the people she knew might watch them the entire time.

The water crept up just above her shoulders, warming her entire body. She probably should've showered first, but this sounded too good to pass up.

And forget that – she should've brought bubble bath. _That_ would be relaxing.

Even though it didn't turn out the way she thought it would, so far the day wasn't horrible.

…

Annie wrung her hair dry with the towel before finally stepping out of the bathroom. She hung up the used towel on the rack in the room and looked around.

Fritz was lying down on the bed, hands behind his head. He seemed lost in thought about something. She briefly wondered what about before speaking up.

"Um, Fritz."

He opened his eyes slowly.

"You can go in now," she told him. "Since it's a hotel, I drained the water. Sorry."

"Aw! I wanted to use Annie's water."

Her cheeks heated up. "Wh-what?!" What was with the third-person? He was so weird.

He laughed loudly. "Just kidding! You took really long, so the water was probably starting to get cold, anyway."

"It was not! And I don't take that long!"

He sat up to look at her, opening his mouth to say something else, but he quickly turned away. He scratched his cheek. "You should get under the blanket or else you'll get cold."

She tilted her head. "These robes are actually pretty w - "

"Annie, please."

Her head snapped back up. She let go of the sleeve she'd been tugging on for emphasis. He wouldn't meet her eye. "Fritz, what's - "

"I'm just... not used to seeing you like this."

"Huh? Like – oh." Her face felt hot. She didn't think she was that dense. "Y-yeah, you're right."

Fritz rubbed at his neck, obviously uncomfortable. "I know... you probably don't think of me like that, and that's okay, but try not to look so vulnerable around me."

Her insides burned and she looked down at the floor. "You don't have to say it like that... jeez. I get it, I'll be more careful."

He cleared his throat. "Thanks."

He stood up and made his way to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. A few moments later, the water turned on.

When he got out... he would probably be wearing that other robe in there, wouldn't he? Did he see her clothes hanging up in there? She hoped she hadn't carelessly left the embarrassing articles out in the open. She just draped them over the shower rod. Would he have to move them?

Stupid Fritz getting her worked up over this. It wasn't that she didn't think of him in that way... she just tried not to.

Of course she wanted to be closer to him, to see more of him. He'd sleep shirtless whenever she'd stayed over, so did that mean he would leave the top of his robe loose?

She bit her lip.

Sure, she'd admit Fritz wasn't especially anything to look at, but who was to deny her that privilege?

She heaved a sigh and climbed into the bed, pulling the blanket up to her neck. It was hot. Maybe she could get to sleep before Fritz got out.

Then she wouldn't have to deal with any more of these heart palpitations.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** BET YOU GUYS MISSED ME. Or the story. Or both. I'd be happy with both.

So, I know nobody really checks profiles, but I put up a short hiatus for this story and LRaA for at least a couple weeks, and this is my attempt at making a comeback! I'm really, really sorry it took me this long to get my stuff together again. Personal issues aside (and trust me, there were just too many to count for a while there), lack of motivation was what really got me.

I'm currently working on a visual novel with some friends, and that was on hiatus for a while so that's why I was able to do weekly updates, but now we've started back up and arrgh it's hard balancing original fiction and fanfiction sometimes! lol. But I'm going to do my best to juggle them, because LRaA only has like 3-4 more chapters to go and then I can actually start focusing again.

And uh, this is really embarrassing, but yes, to **Kaede** , my guest reviewer. When I proofread and made small edits to all the existing chapters and updated them, I accidentally replaced the original chapter 6 of Fritz the Ditz with chapter whatever of Loss, Regret, and Annie. Sorry for all the confusion! That's the first time I've ever done something like that, and I always roll my eyes and hit the back button on the browser whenever I see another author do that... I swear I'm not a crappy author! But thank you so much for pointing that out, otherwise I would've continued embarrassing myself. (And that may be why I didn't see too many reviews for that chapter, hehe, or maybe it just sucked that bad!)

I think that's all I have to say for now. I do have three other multi-chapter stories in the making right now (sigh), all Story of Seasons related. One's for ATWF's Bumblebee Equinox Prompt, but the other two are lighthearted ones for a change. It's not that I'm tired of putting psychological issues in my stories (because it's kinda fun, there are so many ways to experiment and flesh characters out that way), but it'll be a good change to just take it easy...

I didn't mean to rant so much! Sorry to everyone who has to skim through all my mumbo jumbo. If you follow LRaA, I'll see you again this Sunday! But for the rest of y'all, see you next Thursday! Thank you for sticking it out with me. We have so much more of Fritz the Ditz to go!

* * *

She didn't know why, but Annie woke with a fright. Her heart was beating so fast she swore it would pop out of her chest, and her face was warm and sweaty.

She groggily opened her eyes. The first thing she would do was take a shower, she supposed.

Once she pulled the covers down, she was met with a harsh cold. It was different from her awakenings back home.

Oh, right. She wasn't at home. She and Fritz were -

"Ah!"

Her robe was open! Well, only partly, enough to let the cold seep in near her chest. But still!

...Did Fritz see?

When she looked beside her, he wasn't there. He _did_ come to bed last night, didn't he?

She sighed. Even this early in the morning, he got her all worked up.

Annie rubbed at her eyes, removing the sleepy crust from them. They hurt a bit. She stretched her arms above her head and finally got herself up.

She wondered where Fritz was, if not here. Did the hotel have a free breakfast? If so, he probably went to grab some food. It was only just starting to get light outside, so there probably weren't too many people there yet. She chuckled, knowing him.

Then she frowned. Or maybe he felt the need to leave, to get away from her, like last night.

A chill ran down her spine. She shouldn't have been so concerned about that, since they were old enough to where that was starting to become normal. But... she didn't like seeing him like that.

She originally thought that the reason why she fell for him was because of that incident where he scolded her for going out alone and called her out on her snarky attitude and behavior. His eyes grew serious and his expression turned dark and humorless. It was like his personality completely changed.

He had the same expression and tone last night when he told her to cover herself, except this time she didn't like it at all.

That look in his eyes... it was full of pain and what seemed like anger. She didn't understand it. It confused, frustrated, and depressed her all at the same time.

So now she was back to not understanding why she'd fallen for him. Was she drawn to that side of Fritz at first, even though it terrified her now? What changed?

Well... at least she had reasons for liking him now, which was more than she could say about Fritz. If he couldn't come up with any good reasons, then what did that make them? Just two teenagers in love with the idea of being in love?

She shook her head. It was time to calm down. Love was a big word.

The doorknob jiggled from outside, startling her. Fritz sounded frustrated, muttering under his breath from the other side. He was probably struggling with whatever he was carrying, judging by the rustling noises she heard.

She headed for the door, getting ready to open it for him, but then she remembered his reluctance to see her like this. She frowned. He probably wouldn't have made a big deal out of it this early in the morning, but still, there was no point in causing trouble. She didn't want to see that face again, where his eyes lost all their shine.

Annie fumbled around to grab her purse, then quickly retreated into the bathroom.

The door to the main room opened just seconds later. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Annie?" He knocked on the door a few times. "You in there?"

She rolled her eyes a little. Who else would be in there? "Yeah!" she called out, her voice still groggy.

"Good! Have you changed yet?"

For some reason, she found it embarrassing to answer no. She eyed the clothes from yesterday, hanging over the shower rod to dry. The only sign that they were ever wet was the wrinkled texture of her shirt.

"Uh..."

"Just gimme a yes or no so I know where to put these."

These? What? He didn't seriously go out and buy her new clothes, did he?

That was... even more embarrassing, not to mention unnecessary. She cleared her throat. "Just set them outside the door."

There was a short pause and she could just imagine his dumbfounded expression. She snickered.

"Okay then," he said.

His footsteps retreated, and she waited for a few minutes before opening the door. She peeped her head out slowly, as if he was standing right outside. The white paper bag sat on the floor, looking a little wet. Was it still raining?

Then she saw Fritz standing in front of the dresser, trying his best to dust off his clothes. Wait a -

Those were the same clothes he was wearing yesterday! She knew that bag was too small to hold a whole outfit. That meant...

She grabbed the bag and yanked it into the bathroom with her, then quickly shut the door. She thought for a moment that the wetness on the bag was grease, meaning he'd stopped for some sort of fast food breakfast; maybe the hotel didn't have a free breakfast, after all. But he didn't really buy her clothes, right?

Annie reached into the bag and felt around, immediately not liking the texture. When she pulled the contents out, her eyes widened.

Face redder, than a garden tomato, she stormed out and threw Fritz a deadly glare. He looked over at her after hearing the door open and backed away.

"What is this?! Did you... did you _measure_ me?!"

Had her chest been exposed after all? Did he do anything indecent or weird? If they were talking about indecent or weird, though, that was definitely her.

Fritz closed his eyes, taking whatever other insults she began hurling at him. When it sounded like she was done calling him every other synonym for a pervert, he sighed and cleared his throat. He wouldn't meet her eyes, red in the face.

"I-it's not what you think. You see, the cashier told me... if I buy one pair of men's, I get a lady's pair for free – both parts! I, uh, sorta figured it couldn't hurt, y'know?"

"But how'd you know what sizes to buy?!"

He scratched his cheek and turned away. "You... you hugged me a lot in your sleep."

Annie's blood boiled. "Th-that's - !"

Then suddenly, she remembered.

She clung to Fritz in search of comfort, reliving a very painful memory in the form of a nightmare. She held onto him for dear life, hoping he wouldn't leave, too.

She clutched onto the undergarments, no longer upset about any possible indecency.

"I'm sorry, Fritz."

She turned around and headed back into the bathroom to change. There wasn't a fresh change of clothes, but at least she brought her emergency perfume goods.

…

The train ride home was long and awkwardly silent. It was still wet outside, but the thunderstorm was all but forgotten now.

Once they arrives back in town, the train station was bustling. They passed by Lillie and Agate, on their way to work, but Annie didn't stick around long enough to greet them.

She quickly thanked Fritz for everything before breaking into a spring, already lost within the crowd. Her house was so far away.

She dropped her bags and slumped to the ground against the front door, cursing herself. The reason her eyes were sore was because she'd been crying. Why now? Why did Fritz have to be the one to see her like that?

That side of her was something she never wanted to show anyone. It was weak, pathetic, and useless. Who wanted to be around someone like that?

She took in a deep breath, held it, then exhaled it slowly in an attempt to calm herself down. Right. Fritz didn't have to see her that way again – as long as she didn't show it.

But... why was it only surfacing now? What day was it? Was the anniversary coming up already?

A moo from one of her cows sealed away her thoughts. She hurried to the barn and pushed the doors open, smiling sadly and guiltily after seeing all her animals huddled together.

"Oh, you poor things..." she trailed. "You never got to graze yesterday, did you?"

Unsurprisingly, they didn't answer. She started brushing and petting them, but in an instant she was knocked back onto the hard ground.

"Ow..."

Boss licked at her face, like he was apologizing. He wagged his trail and pawed at her.

She laughed as she patted his back. "Sorry for leaving you, Boss."

He kept licking her and shoving his snout into the crevice of her arm.

She smiled. "Can you help me round up the others?"

Boss barked happily, running around in circles. She'd take that as a yes.

He helped her nudge all three cows and two sheep outside. Once they started grazing, Annie allowed herself a few minutes to rest before tackling the inside of the barn.

Although she was sweaty, as usual, she felt very comfortable. It was probably thanks to the underwear Fritz had bought for her, made of very high quality material.

She bit her lip, guilt plaguing her mind again, eating away at her. He was so nice and caring, with a charming side all his own. And just last night, she had seriously considered moving forward with him...

But he didn't let it get that far because he cared about her. That was just another reason she liked him. Maybe that was the deciding factor? His kindness?

Meanwhile, she returned it with snark and sarcasm. She wasn't good at explaining her feelings or intentions, and she wasn't a very nice or thankful person... She wasn't gentle enough to be considered a girl half the time, even. Why was he with her?

It hurt to think about. What did he see in a girl with such a sour personality?

She heard someone clear his throat behind her. It sounded familiar.

She didn't really want to turn around but at the same time she didn't know how long he'd already been standing there.

Boss left her side to greet Fritz happily. Annie finally looked back, and their eyes met.

That pained expression was on his face again. Her mouth opened slightly in concern, wondering if it had anything to do with her. "Fritz, what...?"

He smiled sadly, hands in his pockets. "Can we talk?"

* * *

 _~CGA_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Phew, is it just me or did this week pass by reeeally fast? I feel like I didn't have nearly enough time to get this chapter out! Haha.

Hope you're all still enjoying it :)

* * *

"Aww, Annie, you know I'm not real big on tea."

Annie chuckled nervously. "S-sorry. Force of habit."

She set out the teacups on the coffee table, anyway, one in front of Fritz. She sat down next to him on her sofa as she waited for him to start.

Fritz dipped a finger into the tea, immediately retracting it. Too hot, probably. He stuck it in his mouth and sucked on it, gauging how flavorful it was.

Well, she wasn't an expert butler or anything... and he already didn't like tea...

His face turned sour and Annie stifled a laugh. He was such a dork.

She allowed herself to relax a bit. Even though he said he wanted to talk to her, he wasn't acting strange. He didn't have that pained expression anymore.

Though, she supposed, shouldn't that have made her _more_ nervous? He was acting like he wasn't just showing her how upset he was.

She frowned and stared out the window.

Boss and the others were lying in the grass, soaking up the sun. How nice life would be if she was as carefree as them.

"Annie."

She stiffened and turned her attention to Fritz. "Yeah?"

"I want to know you better."

She nodded hesitantly. That wasn't what she'd expected at all. She thought he would be more angry.

Plus, normally he would stutter while saying something like that, but right now, he looked serious.

She'd been acting weird. She knew that. But she just wasn't sure if she was ready to tell him why. She didn't want him bearing that, or seeing her like that again.

"Before that... how about you?" she asked. It wasn't really stalling because she was genuinely curious.

"Hmm? What about me?" Fritz tilted his head, completely misinterpreting the gravity of the situation.

She looked down briefly, then back up at him shyly. "I want to know what you were like before we met."

She'd heard stories from him about his life prior to Oak Tree Town, but nothing extraordinary. He loved his cats back home and was always scolded as a child for climbing the tall trees in the yard. She knew he moved in last year, two seasons before she did.

It was pathetic that she'd known him for almost a year but knew practically nothing about him. She moved in when snow started to fall in late autumn, and now the leaves were falling. And she had the nerve to call him her best friend.

Fritz ran a hand through his messy hair, his expression growing troubled. "Okay, I guess that's fair." He smiled faintly. "Ask me Annie-thing you want."

Did he...? What?

She rolled her eyes at the pun, but it was surprising how easily he gave in. It didn't take any persuading or anything.

She breathed a sigh of relief, a huge weight lifted off her chest already. He could never understand how comforting it was to talk to him sometimes, even if he only lightened the mood with his comedic personality.

But where did she start?

She took a sip of her tea, pondering. Better start with the recurring question, then.

"Who are you?"

That hardly made sense, though, she realized as Fritz responded with a blank face. She shook her head.

"I mean... who is Fritz? What's your family like? Where did you grow up?"

"Er, one at a time, please," he said with a laugh. He cleared his throat and began answering, anyway.

"I'm Fritz... youngest son of three. My family, well, my older brother – the oldest one of us – runs an electronics company. He's some fancy higher-up or something or other. Anyway, he mainly does repairs, but sometimes when he can't fix it, or it's too faulty to be released to the public, or it's just too old, he gets to take 'em home. He usually just gives that stuff to me since he's got a buncha junk at his place already."

Annie nodded slowly, trying to keep up. He talked so fast and awkwardly. But maybe that was why conversations with him were both entertaining and comfortable.

So that explained the remote-controlled truck and the cell phone, at least. There were other questions lingering, but he didn't seem to be finished just yet.

"My other brother's in college, somewhere I can't even pronounce. It sounds fancy, though, and I know he's going into electronics, too. That's, uh, kind of a trend in the family."

He sighed and leaned forward, rubbing his neck. Was this making him uncomfortable? He didn't have to keep talking...

"My dad's the fanciest of us all, though. He runs everything. You ever hear of Elexpress?"

Annie's eyes widened. It was a very big brand of electronics, ranging from children's toys to the most technologically advanced computers. "Y-yeah. Is your - "

"Dad's the CEO," Fritz answered for her. "He inherited it from my grandfather after he died."

She nodded, though it sounded a bit farfetched. Fritz, the son of the CEO of Elexpress? Who would have thought? Surely nobody else in town knew, otherwise she would've heard about it already. So she was the first...

She understood why he was a so-called rich kid and everything now, but why... why did he come here? Why didn't he want to be like his brothers? He was smart, too, and definitely capable of the same things, if not greater things.

"Fritz - "

"As for where I came from, uh..." he interrupted again, a bit louder than necessary, "let's just say we moved around a lot. Max, my oldest brother, took care of us for the most part, and we went wherever his job took him."

He scratched his head like he was trying to remember something. "We used to live way out in the country, then we moved to Harmony, the city we were just in. Those are really recent, though, like the past five years recent. So uh, basically, I can't remember any other places too much. Sorry."

In the country? Was that why he decided to be a farmer, because he was used to it? But what the heck? Why would they live in the country when his father was such an important person? Did they not get along or something?

Ugh. This was hurting her head. So many questions...

But this was a side of Fritz she'd never seen before – a side probably nobody else had ever seen before. The thought made her happy because he was comfortable enough to tell her all this, but it also terrified her because he was trusting her with so much.

He was so open and honest, and she found herself admiring that. He didn't exactly leave anything out – more like his life just wasn't so easily explained.

It made him more... approachable, yet exciting at the same time. She was learning secrets, seeing expressions, and hearing words that nobody else would ever get to experience.

She really must have been special to him if he was entrusting this all to her. And that made her feel shy for some reason, like she hadn't known that before.

There was a warm feeling spreading throughout her entire body. It felt like all she wanted to do was hug him.

She stared down at the floor, face on fire. What was she thinking?! This was _not_ the time!

"So, hey!" he called out after a while.

She looked back up at him, still wracked with troublesome thoughts. "Yeah?"

"Well, y'know, isn't it time you spill something now?"

Huh?

"We-we'll take turns!" he assured her when her face must have looked frightened.

She frowned. "I - "

"If you feel like you can't answer something, just tell me and we can talk about something else."

Annie bit her lip. She should've been expecting that, because the first thing he said to her was he wanted to know her more, but...

She closed her eyes. It was unfair of her to keep to herself anymore, especially after all the trouble Fritz went through to tell her everything. He paused a lot and took deep breaths and had that look again. Now that she thought about it, maybe that phone call from what felt like so long ago... Did that have to do with his family?

She shook those thoughts away. He wanted to know about her, not be bombarded with more questions.

She drew in a deep breath. It wasn't that she wanted to back out, because if nothing else, at least Fritz deserved to know. They were dating, and it... seemed like it was starting to get serious... She needed to put just as much faith in him as he did in her.

Besides, it might have helped to talk about it finally. After avoiding it for so long...

She still didn't know who Fritz knew or where else he'd been, after all, so maybe, just maybe, he'd have some information.

Annie nodded, steeling herself. "Okay. Ask away."

* * *

 _~CGA_


	10. Chapter 10

Her name was Annie.

She was already accustomed to life in Oak Tree Town because she grew up on a farm. Her family raised all sorts of livestock – cows, sheep, chickens, horses, goats – and they also kept one cat and two dogs as pets. From an early age, she learned how to milk and shear and ride.

Her childhood was simple and carefree. She grew up lovingly and was home-schooled for most her life because they lived too far from the city for public school to be convenient. There were only three houses within a ten-mile radius.

As a result, her only real friend was her older brother, Robert.

He taught her how to take proper care of the animals and keep the barns clean, and in exchange she taught him what she knew of cooking and sewing. Their parents were usually too busy working elsewhere on the farm.

When Annie was fourteen years old, her parents started fighting more often. She heard threats of divorce being thrown around, even. One night in particular was their worst fight yet.

She cried helplessly while Robert pulled her into his chest, comforting her. She didn't know how to get them to stop. Their other fights were relatively easy to ignore, but one of this magnitude... It went on for hours.

Robert ruffled her hair and smiled down at her. "I'll fix things," he told her. "It's my fault they're arguing, anyway."

His fault? She didn't understand what he meant by that at the time. But as the days passed, she realized he'd been slowly packing his belongings into a suitcase.

She asked where he was going and he just shook his head.

"Away, so you can live happily without me."

So that _she_ could live happily without him? Again, she didn't understand, but even as she pleaded with him to reconsider, she remembered he was already twenty years old. Maybe he wanted to find a place of his own or go to college, as unlikely as that seemed, or maybe even get married. He probably just thought he was a burden to everyone and needed some air and time away.

Annie didn't know the kind of life he led. He never talked about a girlfriend or anything, but then again... he was always gone, anyway, and when he did come home he was always tired. His job or pastime really drained him, it seemed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him without bags under his eyes.

Then one day, he didn't come back at all.

The house was quieter. Her parents didn't fight anymore – at all, even – but they seemed sadder. It must have felt like losing a son, because Annie felt like she'd lost a brother.

Days turned to weeks and even seasons. Time passed slowly.

She tried to live life normally, still studying and doing chores and farm work. She transferred to the new public school that was recently built a little ways away. She made a wish that for her fifteenth birthday, he would come back.

But the fourth day of fall came, and no Robert.

Every night she had to pass by his room when she went to bed. It was dark and empty, the only thing inside the broken remote-controlled helicopter they both received as a Christmas present long ago. She and her parents wouldn't will themselves to get rid of it.

The telephone was a rare luxury her father had brought home just a few weeks after Robert had gone missing, but it'd never been used before. Her father must have bought it for that one "what if" situation, when Robert decided to call home.

Days passed and finally the phone did ring, and Annie's breath caught in her throat. Her father sprung up to answer it.

The police were on a first-name basis with her and her parents at that point, but they didn't show up at the house that day, before or after the anonymous call.

Robert was found on the side of the road, eyes wide open. An empty prescription bottle lay in his hand.

…

Annie felt Fritz's stare pierce through her as she wiped her eyes. It was no use, though. She couldn't stop crying. How long had it been since she'd told that story? Maybe this was the first time.

Four – no, five years had passed since then. She just turned nineteen. She wasn't sure if Fritz knew that or not.

Though her face and voice begged to differ, she felt better after spilling it to Fritz.

She sniffled. "B-before you say I was obsessed with him or something, keep in mind that I didn't - "

Fritz enveloped her in a warm hum, crushing her a bit. "I wasn't going to say anything," he whispered. He craned his neck and kissed the top of her head.

"He wasn't... just my brother." She sniffed again, burying her head into Fritz's chest. She quieted her voice. "He was my best friend."

His face fell and he held her more tightly. "I know, I know, Annie," he said, though she knew he didn't know.

He had no idea what that felt like. He still had his brothers. No... this wasn't a contest.

Fritz closed his eyes, caressing her back to try and calm her down.

"You act so tough and strong all the time, like there's nothing bothering you, but you're probably shouldering the biggest burden of all."

His voice was so gentle and kind, and he was using words she never thought he would say before. She felt herself relax a little. The impression left would always be there, of course, but the weight had been lifted.

Annie squeezed him back, and now she was sure he was wearing some sort of cologne. He smelled like the perfect mixture of masculinity and grass. Her pain dissipated as she melted into him with a sigh.

Fritz had crawled his way into her heart and became her best friend, too. She had two completely perfect guys looking out for her. She smiled with a new resolve.

She would make sure Fritz never had to deal with the pain of losing someone close to him. She didn't know how, but... as long as they were together, she'd find a way.

"Annie... don't put on a brave face in front of me," he said softly. "If you need to talk, or cry, or just be around someone, I'm here."

She stifled a laugh. All this gushy nonsense was starting to ruin the mood now. She pulled away slowly, giving him a small smile. "Th-thanks. But I'm okay."

She rubbed at her eyes, knowing her makeup had already been running so it wasn't a big deal anymore.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed Fritz was staring at her. She looked away, embarrassed. She didn't exactly have anything to hide anymore.

He knew her past, about her family, even what size underwear she wore... Here she was, practically baring herself before him.

What if he didn't like what he saw? Would he leave, too?

No... she could trust Fritz. She knew she could.

"Wh-what?" she asked, flustered and angry. He kept staring at her.

"Nothing." He smiled, flustering her more. He laughed and started to lean in.

Meanwhile, Annie started to freak out. "F-Fritz, what - "

"You're beautiful, Annie."

Before she had the chance to respond again, he closed the distance between them, kissing her gently.

Her eyes fluttered shut while she savored the moment, already feeling more passion escape from this kiss than from their first. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips slightly, feeling him deepen the kiss. She reached up and tangled a hand into his messy red hair, not really knowing what she was doing but allowing her body to move on its own. Fritz sighed happily – at least she hoped that was a happy sigh.

Just a few seconds later, his hand snaked around her waist and tugged her closer. Butterflies formed in her stomach as their chests collided. Was this – was he... were they...? She never knew something as simple as this could feel so good.

Fritz pulled back abruptly, but Annie kept her lips parted and leaned in closer. It was like she didn't want to stop.

He laughed nervously, bringing her back. She opened her eyes. The shade of red on her face easily rivaled his. So embarrassing... She was thankful that he had more self-control than she apparently did and pulled away before it went any further.

But that was pretty far already, she thought shyly.

Fritz leaned in and planted another kiss on her forehead. He smiled. "Someday, I want to see just how beautiful you really are."

"D-don't say it like that!"

She flushed, biting her lip and looking away. Because then she'd want to show him.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Chapter 11 (holy crap already) marks the end of the "overnight date" arc and onto a new plot line...! Yay! I'm going to try to make chapters from here on a little longer. Going into this story, I didn't want chapters less than 2k words, and they've been pretty steady, right around 1.5k, but I can milk 'em out a bit more. I also hope to develop Annie more as the protagonist. Look forward to it!

And thank you for all the feedback! I appreciate it so much :)

* * *

She couldn't get him out of her head. She saw him everywhere: in town, on her farm, even in her dreams. Wherever she went, that messy, spiky red hair was right there with her.

The leaves were falling all around, and so too was she falling for Fritz, it seemed.

...But that was cheesy. No way would she ever admit that, even if her face gave her away.

How did this even start, anyway? They were just friends being stupid and having fun, whatever that used to mean, and then one day he just randomly confessed to her. To think their relationship had come so far already just because of that...

What if she had been the first to confess? Would he still have wanted to date her? Of course, right?

Ugh. She was thinking too much again. Where was she, anyway?

She looked up. Right. She was just a few meters from the restaurant.

Her stomach growled, almost like a telltale sign that this was where she'd originally intended to be. She had to admit, mushroom spaghetti sounded pretty good right now, and Raeger did make the best.

Fritz probably wouldn't be inside, because the restaurant was always packed during dinnertime and he only stayed to chat. Despite him and Raeger being best friends, Fritz sure seemed to shop around everywhere else besides the restaurant. Did he cook for himself?

She shook those thoughts away. This wasn't the time to think about him. She had to secure a spot.

Annie pushed open the door and quickly scoped around, then gaped. She expected to have to fight through the onslaught of people for a seat at the counter, but the entire place was empty.

Well, Raeger was there. He seemed to be writing down something, so engrossed in it that he didn't hear her come in.

Why was it so quiet and desolate? He didn't close it down -

"Is it Wednesday?" she didn't mean to ask aloud. She must have really been all out of sorts if she didn't know what day it was. No wonder the depot traders gave her a hard time.

Raeger flinched at the sound of her voice and looked up to see her. "Oh. Hey, Annie." He straightened his back a little. "I haven't seen you in about a week."

"Y-yeah," she replied, trying to laugh it off. "I've been... a little busy."

"With Fritz?"

She frantically shook her head, earning a laugh from Raeger.

"Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the barstool in front of him.

She sat down and folded her hands awkwardly. "The restaurant's closed, though."

"That doesn't mean you can't stay." He stuffed the paper and pen away into his pocket and smiled. "What would you like?"

She felt guilty for wanting food now. "Wh-what were you writing?"

He looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Raeger!" she chided playfully. "That paper you just put away!"

He mussed his hair and sighed, then dug it out of his pocket. He tossed it onto the counter and Annie snatched it up. She unfolded it.

"'Milk from Elise; Beans and vegetables from Otmar; Lavender from Giorgio' - what the heck, Raeger? Is this a shopping list?"

"..."

Annie grinned up at him. "You're actually a housewife in disguise, aren't you?"

"Hey, now," he snapped back, but then he sighed. "It's not like I have anyone to do it for me."

She thought for a moment and opened her mouth.

"Anyway," Raeger said rather loudly, "you're one to talk, _Miss Fritz._ "

Her cheeks burned in anger and embarrassment. "I am not a house - "

"How was your overnight date?"

She wanted to yell at him again, but her words caught in her throat. She started quietly instead, like someone was listening. "You... you know about that?"

Raeger nodded and smirked. "Fritz tells me everything, you know." He frowned. "Even though there are plenty of things I'd rather he keep to himself."

Annie didn't say anything else, dumbstruck. He laughed and kept on teasing her.

"Fritz and Annie sitting in a tree, K-I - "

"Raeger!" she hissed, only making him laugh harder. "I hate you."

After a few moments she looked back at him, that stupid smirk still on his face. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Seriously, are you twelve?"

She couldn't believe she used to think he was up there with Klaus when she first moved in. No wonder he and Fritz were best friends.

She put her face in her hands, having completely forgotten the reason she came here in the first place. It was hard being surrounded by these people sometimes.

"Lighten up, Annie," Raeger said calmly. "It's only natural to be teased like this when you're in love."

Annie straightened to a stiff position in the stool. There he went again! Blurting out something totally unrelated and misunderstanding their relationship.

"I mean, jeez, you wouldn't believe how often I have to tell Fritz to shut up about you. He's always spouting mushy garbage about how much he loves you."

Her eyes widened and she felt a pang in her heart. "Wh-what?"

He sighed, probably mistaking her confusion for shyness. "Fritz. He talks nonstop about you, just going on and on."

She ignored that he was basically doing the same. "What... does he say?"

Raeger's eyes widened and he looked away, a hand up to his mouth. "Uh... I don't feel comfortable quoting him."

She glued her eyes to the countertop. "Does he love me?"

"What? Of course he does," he replied with a chuckle. "Did you two get in a fight or something?"

She didn't answer him. "Does he say that?" She looked right at him, but she spoke in a small voice. "Does he tell you he loves me?"

Raeger stood up straight, looking taken aback. "Annie..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then leaned on the counter directly in front of her. "Don't you love him?"

She bit her lip. "I..."

She didn't want to say no, because she did have feelings for him that were only growing stronger as of lately, but she hesitated.

Why would it be so weird if she didn't? They'd barely been dating long at all, just since the beginning of summer, and they were still just kids, practically. She didn't feel like she was ready to devote herself entirely to another person yet, even if he was her best friend.

Still...

"I-I... don't - "

"Okay, that's enough," Raeger said, interrupting her.

She looked up, not sure if she should feel relieved or stressed. "What?"

He shook his head. "It's none of my business. Sorry to get you all riled up. Anyway..." He smiled. "You looked like you had something to say earlier regarding my, ah, shopping list."

He was changing the subject because he saw she was uncomfortable... Maybe he really was a gentleman like Klaus. She nodded slowly, a smile forming.

"Yeah. I wanted to ask why you're going through all that trouble. Like..." She picked the list back up and scanned it over. "Why are you going to three different places to buy groceries?"

His face fell a little. "I can't exactly find everything in one central hub. Besides, it helps out the community."

"R-right," she agreed, suddenly feeling ashamed. She thought about maybe delivering produce from her farm to help him out... but now that made it sound like she just wanted to monopolize the restaurant.

...Forget it; Giorgio and Elise were her rivals, anyway, and she didn't grow beans so he could still buy those from Otmar.

She cleared her throat. "If you want, I could help you out."

"You?" he asked somewhat incredulously. "I... appreciate the offer, but - "

"I come from a long line of farmers," she continued, refusing to back down. So maybe she was exaggerating a tiny bit, but her father did inherit the farm from someone, at least. "I can guarantee no pesticides or preservatives of any kind, and everything I grow is deeply rooted into some of the richest soil you can find. You'd be really stupid to turn me down."

Raeger laughed, somewhat taken aback. "Well, when you put it that way... All right. What can you do for me?"

She smiled. "Milk, veggies, flowers, honey, mushrooms – you name it. I've got most of the fields under my control right now."

"You've only been here a year."

"Long line of farmers," she repeated proudly.

He placed a hand on his chin like he was thinking about it. "Why are you so caught up in this all of a sudden?"

She thought about that. Why _was_ she? She felt the excitement bubbling up inside her, but... what was the reason for it?

She'd be taking away business from Elise and Giorgio, and not to mention it would be a lot more hard work than what she was already doing. But maybe she just wanted to push herself a little more, do something exciting here for once.

Maybe... she just wanted to prove to Fritz that she wasn't useless. Prove it to Robert, and prove it to herself. It was sudden, yes, but now that she was here, she couldn't stop. There was no backing down now.

"Some friendly competition might boost morale in the town," she answered simply.

Raeger clenched a fist. "I like the way you think. All right. Bring me the best four products you have to offer by next Wednesday and I'll think about making you a deal."

She nodded. "Any preference?"

"Nope, but for your own benefit, you should probably choose according to which of your rivals' products you want to take over."

"Right." So... milk, lavender, and a vegetable. But what about the fourth? She'd have to think about that.

After cementing the details, she started walking out the door. She had one more week to harvest better products than her elite farmer rivals.

She hadn't been this excited for something in quite some time.

* * *

 _~CGA_


End file.
